Conveyer



June 21, 193s. w B, FLEWNC; 2,121,628

CONVEYER 2 Sheets-Sheet,4 1

Fiied July so, 1935 Jn 21, 1938. w. FLEMING CONVEYER Filed July 30, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATT'Y Patented `lune 21, 1938 UNITED STATES ZJZLGZS 2,121,628 coNvEYER.

William B. Fleming, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application `July 30, 1935, Serial No. `33,850`v 11 Claims.

This invention relates to a conveyer, particularly of the type adapted to gather coal after it is shot'down in a mine room.

An object' of the invention is to provide a f conveyer of the above mentioned type in which a hold-down roller is provided at the tail end which will permit free passage of bent flights.

`Another object of the invention is to provide a conveyer of the above mentioned type in which a hold-down roller is provided at the tail end which roller is grooved to permitA free passage of flight attaching rivet heads.

`vOther objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations' 1`5- being set lforth in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a conveyer comprising my invention;

Fig. 2 isa side elevational view of the device of Fig. 1; Y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective View of the tail section of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the tail section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the tail section of the conveyer of my invention; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is seen a conveyer `comprising my invention which is particularly adapted to be employed in a coal mine as a face or as Va room conveyer. That is, this conveyer, when used as a face conveyer, will be placed near the face of a coal mine room, which face is cut and shot down, after which theshot-down coal is loaded onto the conveyerand bysaid conveyer delivered to room conveyers, which may be of the same construction, by which it is conveyed from the room onto appropriate mine cars, or the like.

The said face or roomv conveyer comprises a head section vA, a tail section B and one or mo-re intermediate sections C, which may be remov- 45 ably attached by angle and bolt clamp means 8 and 9. The number of intermediate sections C may be varied at will to determine the length of the entire conveyer. The three sections A, B and C cooperate to form acontinuous trough IIl having a bottom plate I0', within which trough is adapted to travel a continuous chain II carrying material conveying flights I2. The head section A is provided with a drive shaft I3 which is driven from al motor I4 through a speed reduction' mechanism I5 and chain and sprocket driveA means I6.

The tail section B of the conveyer is provided with an adjustable shaft Il carrying a sprocket I8 adapted to mesh with the chain II. Appro- 5 pri'atechain tensioning means I9 are provided for maintaining proper tension on the chain I I andv providing for the slackening of said chain II, whereby the links thereof may be disconnected tol insert or remove links to vary the 10 length thereof when the length of the entire conveyer isvaried. 1

It may be noted that the head section A is provided with aY diverging bottom wall 2U and a dividing plow or deflectorZI, which plow 2I is 15 positioned in advance of drive sprocket 22 carried on shaft I3. Said diverging bottom wall 20 and plow or 'dei-lector 2I are effective to free any material 'which may becaught under flight I2 as the Hight approaches the shaft I3.

As best seen'in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the return path of the chain II and the flights I2 beneath the trough I0 comprises a pair of wear strips 23, 23 which extend longitudinally of the trough I0 and adjacent the sidesthereof. These strips are attached to transversely extending pipes I I which constitute supports for the intermediate sections C.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3, 4 and 6, attention is directed to the particular construction off the tail section B and more particularly to the construction of the hold-down roller 24. It has been found in practice that the flights I2 sometimes become bent `as illustratedin Fig, 6 and, unless special means are employed, such as herein disclosed, :the hold-down roller or a flight is apt to become broken when the bent flight attempts to pass under the'hold-down roller. To obviate this undesirable feature, I provide the hold-down roller 24 with a pair of end sections 25, 25 which are frusto-conical and of reduced diameter progressively outward toward each end thereof.

As is well illustrated by Fig. 6A of the drawings, this particular construction of the roller willv` allow a bent flight I2 to pass thereunder without damage to the flight or the roller.

It will, of course, be obvious that the hold#v down'roller Mis highly desirable to the end that the chain II and the flights I2 will be guided to the bottom of the trough as they emerge from the tail section B.

The ights I2 are most readily attached to the chain II by rivets 26 which co-operate with wing links 21 of the chain II, which rivets 26 have projecting heads.

Another feature of the hold-down roller 24 resides in the provision of a pair of circumferential grooves 28, 28 which allow free passage of the heads of rivets 26 under said hold-down roller 24. Between the grooves 28 the hold-down roller 24 preferably comprises a cylindrical section 29.

In addition to the elements above specifically described, it is evident that the tail section B comprises a box type frame 3B including a pivoted top cover 3|, provided with handles 32 andv reinforcing angle members, which is adapted to protect the shaft I'I, the sprocket I8 and holddown roller 24 from the coal` as itis shot down from the room face.

In the operation of the device comprising my invention as a face conveyenl the conveyer is preferably placed near the face of a room. in a.

coal mine after appropriate kerfs have been cut in said face. The coal is then shot down and in some instances the conveyer will be almost buried; by the shot-down coal. The motor I4 may then be started and the conveying. mechanism, including the chain H and the flights I2, will clear the trough I0 of filled coal and discharge it into another' conveyer ory anyappropriate means forremovi'ng the coal. The additionai shot-down coal; will'zthen.y be loaded into trough Izl` by which 'rtY will beconveyed away as aforesaid.

Hold-down roller 24 will be operative to guide the chain I1I' andthe flights. I2 to the' bottom of the.' trough. IiiA as theyY emerge.- from the tail section B. As was.l above pointed out, thetapering or frusto-conical. end' sections 25, 25v ofi the holddown roller 24V` permit freeV 'passage of any bentv flight I2 thereunder. The. grooves 281,. 28 also. permit free' passage of the projecting heads'. of rivets. 2'6; thereunder. As'the coal is discharged over the-head sectionA of the conveyer, the diverging bottom' wall Zf and the plowv 2'I guide the material to each side 'of the central drivesprocket 22 and free flights I2' of any particle of coal which is caught thereunder The particular arrangement of the sprocket IB', shaft Il'Ii, roller 24, trough bottom: I0" and chain I I, is a feature of my invention and is provided to. the end. that the overall height of the conveyer will be maintained ata minimum to accomm'odate` itself to a low vein mine. As best seen in Fig.. 4, the shaft I"II and sprocket I8` are so positionedthatthelower or return run'of chain I I ishorizontal, or, in other words, said lowerrun extends tangentially from. saidV sprocket I8. TroughA bottom Iii" is so. positioned as. to provide for thisconstruction. This results ina minimum of friction between, flights; I2. and guides'2-3,which increases greatly thev life of both. This'arrangement of parts also provides for the' positioning of bottom IU in thelowest possible position for the purpose of mai-ntainingia minimum trough height, as above mentioned. However, unless some1 hold-down means were providedfor the upper run. of. the; chain. II., it would` not contact the trough bottom I! as it emerges from tail section B, and coal: would get. caught under the flights I2; Hold-down roller 24 insures that the ights will contact the trough bottom i0" as they emerge from the said tailv section B. It is also to be noted that the hold-down. roller v2l! is adequately protected from falling coal by the reinforced top` 3l of said tail section B.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement circumferential scope of the invention as of parts without departing from the spirit and defined by the claims hereto appended, and I wish therefore not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United `States is:

l. In a conveyer, the combination with a trough, of a continuous chain, flights carried by said chain, head and tail sprockets for said chain, a hold-down roller adjacent said tail sprocket adapted to guide said chain to a posi- Ytion on the bottom of said trough, said roller being vof reduced diameter progressively outward toward each end to permit bent flights to pas's thereunder.

2'. In a conveyen, the combination with a trough, of a continuous chain, flights carried by said chain, head and tail sprockets for said chain; a Ahold-down 'roller adjacent said tail sprocket adapted4 to guideV said chainto a position on the bottom of said trough, said roller being tapered to permit bentflights to pass thereunder.

3. In a. conveyer, the combination with a trough, of a continuous` chain, flights carried by saidV chain, head *and* ta-il sprockets for said chain', a hold-down roller adjacent said tail sprocket adapted. toguide said chain to a positionron the bottom of` said trough, said roller comprising a cylindrical Vcenter `portion, and.T end portions forming conical sections of reduced diameter progressively outward to eachl end to permit bent flightsto pass thereunder.

4. In a` conveyer, the combination. with a trough, of a continuous chain adapted to. travel substantially along the central longitudinal axis of the trough, flights attached at their centers to said. chain by rivetshaving upwardly' projecting heads, head and ltail sprockets for said chain, a hold-down roller adjacent said tail-sprocket adaptedto-'hold' said* chainagainst the trough bottom, said roller having circumferential grooves adapted tof'permit free passage of said rivet heads' and'having outwardly tapering conical portions adapted. to permit the free passage ofl bentvv flights thereunder.

5. A tail section for a conveyer comprising a` framev having sidewalls, a shaft extending betweenV said walls, acentral sprocket on said shaft, ahold-down roller extending between said side.' walls forward of said shaft, said roller having outwardly tapered conical portions and a pair ofcentrally positioned circumferentiall grooves.

6. A' tail section for a conveyerV comprising a frame having' sidewalls, a shaft extending between said walls, a central sprocket on said shaft, a. hold-down roller extending betweensaid side walls forward of said shaft', said roller having outwardly tapered conical portions.v

7. A hold-down roller fo-r a chain conveyer comprising a body having a central cylindrical portion, conical end portions of decreasing diameter from the center thereof, toward the ends, saidbody being provided with circumferential grooves between the central cylindrical portion and the conical end portions.

8. A hold-down roller for a chain conveyer comprising a body having a central cylindrical portion, and conical end portions, said body being provided with circumferential grooves between said central portion and said end portions.

9.. In a conveyer, the combination with a trough having side walls, of a continuous chain adapted to travel along the center of said trough, flights carried by said chain having arms extending laterally thereof, centrally positioned head and tail sprockets for said chain, and a holddown roller extending between said side walls and positioned adjacent said tail sprocket having a central roller portion adapted to ride on said chain and guide it to a position on the bottom of said trough, said roller being constructed to permit vertically bent arms of said flights to pass freely thereunder by having its ends beyond said central portion of reduced diameter.

10. In a conveyer. the combination with a trough, of. draft means adapted to travel substantially along the central longitudinal axis of the trough, a tail sprocket for said draft means positioned centrally of said trough, a hold-down roller adjacent said tail sprocket adapted to hold said draft means against the trough bottom, flights attached to said draft means and having wings extending laterally to each side thereof, said hold-down roller having outwardly tapering portions adapted to permit free passage of upwardly bent flights thereunder.

11. In a conveyer, the combination with a trough, of draft means adapted to travel substantially along the central longitudinal axis of the trough, a tail sprocket for said draft means positioned centrally of said trough, a hold-down roller adjacent said tail sprocket adapted to hold said draft means against the trough bottom, flights attached to said draft means and having Wings extending laterally to each side thereof, said hold-down roller having a central substantially cylindrical portion adapted to ride on said draft means and having portions of reduced diameter extending over the paths of said wings to permit bent flights to pass freely thereunder.

WILLIAM B. FLEMN G. 

